Last night I saw a Fathom Events showing of '85: The Greatest Team in Pro Football History, and it was quite the day. I discovered rolled ice cream (plenty of videos are on YouTube describing it) and yet I had a scary incident before I saw the screening, as I explain below:
NOTE: This is not to be confused with the ESPN 30 for 30 episode about the 1985 Chicago Bears. Also, even though this was a Fathom Event, for some reason this did not play near Orlando so I had to drive a ways to see this. On the way, I honked at someone for rude driving, and they suddenly turned psychopathic; that vehicle tried to run me off the road! As soon as it happened, they sped off; I was too shaken up but the road was full of other cars so someone had to call 911 and hopefully I can have the last laugh because of the police pulling over that lunatic. As I've been chased before in Florida, that is the most extreme examples of how terrible people drive in Florida; legit, I can spend paragraphs discussing that subject.
Instead, I watched this, a documentary about 1985 season the Chicago Bears had; for the worldwide audience reading this, that is a pro American football team which had at worst one of the best seasons of all time as they only lost once and had a legendary defense. The team experienced mainstream fame and was white-hot for a brief amount of time as there were plenty of wacky over-the-top Bears players and even the head coach Mike Ditka was outrageous. This was not a game by game recap of the season (other sources have done that before) but rather had many of the most notable people still alive today interviewed and they talked about how great the season was. They also discussed some drama, such as their best player (Walter Payton) never scoring in the Super Bowl game-something that greatly upset him and I know people who are still raw about it 32 years later-some of the players dying too young and how they only had one great year; multiple Super Bowls should have been won with the team but it did not happen.
As I grew up in Illinois, watched the Bears since I was a kid, and have the faintest memories of this season, there you have the reasons for this viewing. I really don't watch the NFL too much anymore; the Bears have been bad for the past few years but it is more than that. I have no idea how worldwide the news spread of the controversy over various players kneeling during The National Anthem... as Trump was the one who fanned the flames, I presume some people in other countries heard about it; I also presume that some found it daffy how many Americans were enraged by this act.
I am not one of those people; there are other reasons to tune out. The league itself has done some very stupid things. There were dumb rule changes that neutered most defenses. Offenses are too conservative in general, making for games not enjoyable to watch. In 2012 the referees went on strike and the league thought it was OK to have replacement refs do the actual games... even if it became obvious they were over their heads and it took them completely screwing up the ending of a big game on national television for the league to cave and the strike to end. Hell, in recent years there have been multiple controversies over what is a catch and what isn't; yes, they can't definitively explain it and just NOW do they promise to try and fix that. So believe me there are plenty of reasons to have an apathetic feeling about the National Football League that has nothing to do with kneeling.
Anyhow... this documentary is best for National Football League fans, especially fans of The Monsters of the Midway.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Monday, January 29, 2018
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Razorback
Razorback (1984)
Runtime: 95 minutes
Directed by: Russell Mulcahy
Starring: Gregory Harrison, Arkie Whiteley, Bill Kerr, Chris Haywood, David Argue
From: Greater Union Film Distributors
When seeing a cult favorite goes right:
For years I've known of this cult Ozzie horror film, and as it was on TCM Underground last night, that was the perfect opportunity for me to finally discover what the hype was about. Finally, I know that the story isn't greatly original and yet the roles that some people played behind the camera greatly helped out a wacky horror movie where a giant boar can bust through someone's wooden shack and rip the door off of an automobile.
The movie is set and filmed in the Australian Outback. The first few minutes are striking between how it is shot and there being a death that is both harsh and pretty shocking. An American reporter from New York City goes to do a story about how animals such as kangaroos are being shot and killed for usage as pet food (vegans out there, there's a short slaughterhouse scene you probably won't like); something happens to her and husband Gregory Harrison goes Down Under and deals with the type of bizarre human beings I'd expect to see in an Ozploitation film, as they WERE the type of people I typically have seen in the classic heyday of Ozploitation. Only in that world would I expect a character named DICKO BAKER to be present, and it was an appropriate name for that character in this film.
As an aside, the director originally thought of having Jeff Bridges play Harrison's role, but a producer refused because he “wasn't an international star”; and Harrison was? Maybe I underestimated the popularity of Trapper John M.D.... but I don't think it was a worldwide hit. Harrison was fine but imagining Bridges in the part makes me sad it did not happen. Harrison was also American so it's not like they wanted an Aussie for the role.
That director was Russell Mulcahy, and it was his job here that got attention and he got to do Highlander... and unfortunately Highlander 2: The Quickening. His overall oeuvre hasn't been great but some of his films have been decent and his music videos were usually pretty memorable. At the time, shooting a motion picture like a music video (filters, strobe lighting, quick cutting, and what have you) was a pretty novel idea. From that we got both David Fincher and-regrettably-Michael Bay, so you can think of it how you will. I say some of its ideas are overused even today but for here it managed to work. The story was more serious than most slashers of the time so its style and the overall surreal nature of this... it fit.
What ended up being big assets for the movie and the director was the cinematography and the editing. Dean Semler was hired for the former after the job he did on The Road Warrior, and because he worked for both Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, I am sure that's why William M. Anderson was hired for the latter. Both did quality work here and it helped bring Mulcahy's ideas to life. This was one of the many movies inspired by Jaws, and like that film you don't see the titular Razorback all that often; it was a good decision here too, as plenty of time is spent getting to know the main characters, including Dicko and his equally villainous brother. This is not just “a giant pig movie.”
Also, you Aussies may be surprised, but Don Lane (briefly appearing in the film as himself) is unknown in America, despite being an American. For those that don't know, he was a greatly popular talk show host Down Under at the time.
Runtime: 95 minutes
Directed by: Russell Mulcahy
Starring: Gregory Harrison, Arkie Whiteley, Bill Kerr, Chris Haywood, David Argue
From: Greater Union Film Distributors
When seeing a cult favorite goes right:
For years I've known of this cult Ozzie horror film, and as it was on TCM Underground last night, that was the perfect opportunity for me to finally discover what the hype was about. Finally, I know that the story isn't greatly original and yet the roles that some people played behind the camera greatly helped out a wacky horror movie where a giant boar can bust through someone's wooden shack and rip the door off of an automobile.
The movie is set and filmed in the Australian Outback. The first few minutes are striking between how it is shot and there being a death that is both harsh and pretty shocking. An American reporter from New York City goes to do a story about how animals such as kangaroos are being shot and killed for usage as pet food (vegans out there, there's a short slaughterhouse scene you probably won't like); something happens to her and husband Gregory Harrison goes Down Under and deals with the type of bizarre human beings I'd expect to see in an Ozploitation film, as they WERE the type of people I typically have seen in the classic heyday of Ozploitation. Only in that world would I expect a character named DICKO BAKER to be present, and it was an appropriate name for that character in this film.
As an aside, the director originally thought of having Jeff Bridges play Harrison's role, but a producer refused because he “wasn't an international star”; and Harrison was? Maybe I underestimated the popularity of Trapper John M.D.... but I don't think it was a worldwide hit. Harrison was fine but imagining Bridges in the part makes me sad it did not happen. Harrison was also American so it's not like they wanted an Aussie for the role.
That director was Russell Mulcahy, and it was his job here that got attention and he got to do Highlander... and unfortunately Highlander 2: The Quickening. His overall oeuvre hasn't been great but some of his films have been decent and his music videos were usually pretty memorable. At the time, shooting a motion picture like a music video (filters, strobe lighting, quick cutting, and what have you) was a pretty novel idea. From that we got both David Fincher and-regrettably-Michael Bay, so you can think of it how you will. I say some of its ideas are overused even today but for here it managed to work. The story was more serious than most slashers of the time so its style and the overall surreal nature of this... it fit.
What ended up being big assets for the movie and the director was the cinematography and the editing. Dean Semler was hired for the former after the job he did on The Road Warrior, and because he worked for both Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, I am sure that's why William M. Anderson was hired for the latter. Both did quality work here and it helped bring Mulcahy's ideas to life. This was one of the many movies inspired by Jaws, and like that film you don't see the titular Razorback all that often; it was a good decision here too, as plenty of time is spent getting to know the main characters, including Dicko and his equally villainous brother. This is not just “a giant pig movie.”
Also, you Aussies may be surprised, but Don Lane (briefly appearing in the film as himself) is unknown in America, despite being an American. For those that don't know, he was a greatly popular talk show host Down Under at the time.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice (1988)
Runtime: 92 minutes
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton
From: Geffen
I am glad this was a pleasant revisit. I talk all about it below:
This is another one of those “I last watched it at least 20 years ago” movies; at least I believe that is the case here. Why that's the case is a little difficult to explain... as a kid I definitely noticed it was pretty weird and yet I thought it was enjoyable. As an adult, the movie is definitely weird and yet now I fully appreciate it. I get why some wouldn't be fans of a film like this; I am glad I am a fan.
As I sometimes say, I will operate under the assumption most people know the plot. Adam and Barbara are an average couple and nice people so it's easy to root for them as they suddenly end up dead and have to deal with the peculiarities in this movie's universe. You also like 80's goth Lydia as she has to deal with some horrible 80's yuppies in her dad, stepmom and the bizarre interior decorator Otho. It's easy to root against Jeffrey Jones; I am not saying that due to his perverted real-life proclivities being discovered around 15 years ago, but he was great at playing a villain.
There are plenty of odd moments and yet it wasn't so strange it was off-putting. Rather, it was interesting experiencing this world, and not so frightening that kids are repelled away. The production design is great, whether it's all the iterations of the house or the afterworld. As an aside, I'd love to live in that bucolic little Connecticut (actually East Corinth, Vermont) town. Tim Burton (before many people groaned when they think of him and his movies... because of him always casting Johnny Depp and his then love interest Helena Bonham Carter and using Danny Elfman (another individual people used to like more than they do now, due to a perceived decline in quality), or how his modern work seems rote and tired compared to his early successes) did a swell job, as did Elfman as the composer.
It's a great cast; Robert Goulet and Dick Cavett having supporting roles is zany but I can't complain about anyone's performance. It's always nice seeing Winona and this is one of her most memorable roles, but Betelgeuse is unforgettable. It's easy to forget that it's Keaton in the role, between the performance and the great makeup. In terms of screentime he's a supporting character but that works as Betelgeuse is so over the top and wild, too much of him would be a bad idea. He is in different measures funny, sort of charming, menacing, and pretty lewd. It reminded me how this would NOT be rated PG today between the F-bomb and some of the other things he said and did. While I wish I wouldn't have put off this adult viewing for so long, I am thankful this is something I can give a high rating to. The long-rumored sequel that allegedly will be coming out sometime next year... it'd be nice if it was worthwhile but there definitely are valid reasons for it to be a disappointment among the fanbase.
Oh, and it was an interesting touch for Adam and Barbara to be fans of calypso music, Harry Belafonte in particular. Some of his songs are heard but two are spotlighted; to me it's great that there are many people today who know both Banana Boat Song (Day-O) and Jump in the Line.
Runtime: 92 minutes
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton
From: Geffen
I am glad this was a pleasant revisit. I talk all about it below:
This is another one of those “I last watched it at least 20 years ago” movies; at least I believe that is the case here. Why that's the case is a little difficult to explain... as a kid I definitely noticed it was pretty weird and yet I thought it was enjoyable. As an adult, the movie is definitely weird and yet now I fully appreciate it. I get why some wouldn't be fans of a film like this; I am glad I am a fan.
As I sometimes say, I will operate under the assumption most people know the plot. Adam and Barbara are an average couple and nice people so it's easy to root for them as they suddenly end up dead and have to deal with the peculiarities in this movie's universe. You also like 80's goth Lydia as she has to deal with some horrible 80's yuppies in her dad, stepmom and the bizarre interior decorator Otho. It's easy to root against Jeffrey Jones; I am not saying that due to his perverted real-life proclivities being discovered around 15 years ago, but he was great at playing a villain.
There are plenty of odd moments and yet it wasn't so strange it was off-putting. Rather, it was interesting experiencing this world, and not so frightening that kids are repelled away. The production design is great, whether it's all the iterations of the house or the afterworld. As an aside, I'd love to live in that bucolic little Connecticut (actually East Corinth, Vermont) town. Tim Burton (before many people groaned when they think of him and his movies... because of him always casting Johnny Depp and his then love interest Helena Bonham Carter and using Danny Elfman (another individual people used to like more than they do now, due to a perceived decline in quality), or how his modern work seems rote and tired compared to his early successes) did a swell job, as did Elfman as the composer.
It's a great cast; Robert Goulet and Dick Cavett having supporting roles is zany but I can't complain about anyone's performance. It's always nice seeing Winona and this is one of her most memorable roles, but Betelgeuse is unforgettable. It's easy to forget that it's Keaton in the role, between the performance and the great makeup. In terms of screentime he's a supporting character but that works as Betelgeuse is so over the top and wild, too much of him would be a bad idea. He is in different measures funny, sort of charming, menacing, and pretty lewd. It reminded me how this would NOT be rated PG today between the F-bomb and some of the other things he said and did. While I wish I wouldn't have put off this adult viewing for so long, I am thankful this is something I can give a high rating to. The long-rumored sequel that allegedly will be coming out sometime next year... it'd be nice if it was worthwhile but there definitely are valid reasons for it to be a disappointment among the fanbase.
Oh, and it was an interesting touch for Adam and Barbara to be fans of calypso music, Harry Belafonte in particular. Some of his songs are heard but two are spotlighted; to me it's great that there are many people today who know both Banana Boat Song (Day-O) and Jump in the Line.
Friday, January 26, 2018
The Black Hole
The Black Hole (1979)
Runtime: 98 minutes
Directed by: Gary Nelson
Starring: Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux
From: Disney
This movie has an interesting backstory, as I explain below:
I can only recall some of the movies I saw on broadcast television in the evening when I was a real little kid. It was on an independent station that became a FOX channel. I saw the entirety of Cloak & Dagger that way, and amazingly I actually saw parts of D.C. Cab; no, I can't explain how they made a TV edit of a movie that had a lot of vulgar dialogue and other R-rated material. The Black Hole was another one of those movies; I know I only watched parts of it; among other things, I would have remembered such an odd ending. Finally, after last night I saw it complete; I will say that it's fine, although it goes off the rails in the final act.
To think that both this and Star Trek: The Motion Picture came out in the same month (December 1979) and both made it rather obvious they were aping 2001: A Space Odyssey. I mean, the two had overtures at the beginning, which is the last time you saw that until... well, I guess the roadshow version of The Hateful Eight. Hole was also heavily inspired by Star Wars, as I'll get to in a moment. The plot: the U.S.S. Palomino is a spaceship returning home to Earth when they suddenly stumble upon a giant black hole and a mysterious ship is found right by it, somehow resisting the effects of the black hole. Yes, in part it's Event Horizon. The brig in question is an old spaceship ran by Maximilian Schell; to me, it's not a spoiler to say that he's the bad guy, because it's Maximilian Schell. Plus, he's a brilliant scientist (who has become a mad scientist) says the rest of the crew left to go home (but never made it home) and he has robots running everything.
The movie does look pretty, with plenty of great matte paintings and special effects that at least at the time were nifty. Some of them you can see the seams almost 40 years later but because almost all of it was done practically, I won't get mad. I always enjoyed looking at this motion picture. Plus, what a cast: Schell, Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Forster, and Yvette Mimieux. Plus, you hear the voices of Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens. This wrestles with both being full of grandeur and big ideas like 2001 and zip-bang action like Star Wars, and the two don't always mix well. I am not surprised there were once plans to remake this, as it's the sort of motion picture which should actually be remade.
Yet this was the first Disney movie rated PG (years before they created other studios to release movies of all different ratings) and I can't get mad at the ambition. I understand those that may think it's boring but that wasn't a real problem with me. It just becomes goofy in the final act and you don't need to be Neil deGrasse Tyson to figure out this is the opposite of being scientifically accurate and in fact, Tyson himself once said this is the “most scientifically inaccurate movie” he's ever seen. The final 10 or so minutes... what it was trying to be will be blatant, and it is not quite successful at that task. Yet I thought this was fine overall as it kept my attention and like I said, it was pretty.
Oh, and one of the ways it tried to be like Star Wars: a cute robot. To describe V.I.N.CENT, imagine a floating BB-8 who speaks English (and usually says random sayings) and unfortunately has a pair of googly eyes. That had to be an inspiration for BB-8, I am pretty certain.
Runtime: 98 minutes
Directed by: Gary Nelson
Starring: Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux
From: Disney
This movie has an interesting backstory, as I explain below:
I can only recall some of the movies I saw on broadcast television in the evening when I was a real little kid. It was on an independent station that became a FOX channel. I saw the entirety of Cloak & Dagger that way, and amazingly I actually saw parts of D.C. Cab; no, I can't explain how they made a TV edit of a movie that had a lot of vulgar dialogue and other R-rated material. The Black Hole was another one of those movies; I know I only watched parts of it; among other things, I would have remembered such an odd ending. Finally, after last night I saw it complete; I will say that it's fine, although it goes off the rails in the final act.
To think that both this and Star Trek: The Motion Picture came out in the same month (December 1979) and both made it rather obvious they were aping 2001: A Space Odyssey. I mean, the two had overtures at the beginning, which is the last time you saw that until... well, I guess the roadshow version of The Hateful Eight. Hole was also heavily inspired by Star Wars, as I'll get to in a moment. The plot: the U.S.S. Palomino is a spaceship returning home to Earth when they suddenly stumble upon a giant black hole and a mysterious ship is found right by it, somehow resisting the effects of the black hole. Yes, in part it's Event Horizon. The brig in question is an old spaceship ran by Maximilian Schell; to me, it's not a spoiler to say that he's the bad guy, because it's Maximilian Schell. Plus, he's a brilliant scientist (who has become a mad scientist) says the rest of the crew left to go home (but never made it home) and he has robots running everything.
The movie does look pretty, with plenty of great matte paintings and special effects that at least at the time were nifty. Some of them you can see the seams almost 40 years later but because almost all of it was done practically, I won't get mad. I always enjoyed looking at this motion picture. Plus, what a cast: Schell, Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Forster, and Yvette Mimieux. Plus, you hear the voices of Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens. This wrestles with both being full of grandeur and big ideas like 2001 and zip-bang action like Star Wars, and the two don't always mix well. I am not surprised there were once plans to remake this, as it's the sort of motion picture which should actually be remade.
Yet this was the first Disney movie rated PG (years before they created other studios to release movies of all different ratings) and I can't get mad at the ambition. I understand those that may think it's boring but that wasn't a real problem with me. It just becomes goofy in the final act and you don't need to be Neil deGrasse Tyson to figure out this is the opposite of being scientifically accurate and in fact, Tyson himself once said this is the “most scientifically inaccurate movie” he's ever seen. The final 10 or so minutes... what it was trying to be will be blatant, and it is not quite successful at that task. Yet I thought this was fine overall as it kept my attention and like I said, it was pretty.
Oh, and one of the ways it tried to be like Star Wars: a cute robot. To describe V.I.N.CENT, imagine a floating BB-8 who speaks English (and usually says random sayings) and unfortunately has a pair of googly eyes. That had to be an inspiration for BB-8, I am pretty certain.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Blade
Blade (1998)
Runtime: 120 minutes
Directed by: Stephen Norrington
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright, Udo Kier
From: New Line Cinema
I was happy to see this again. Let me regale you with the reasons why below:
I hadn't seen any of the three movies in the series for a very long time; henceforth, I realized it was time give the original another spin. Thing is, I always enjoyed the first and second one; it's Trinity that is so piss-poor it put me off from watching the first two. But I've gotten past that and besides, I am sure I'll have plenty to say about why Trinity is so bad.
By now I am sure most are familiar with the basic story of how the title character is a Daywalker who hunts down vampires and he has to deal with a young punk vampire named Deacon Frost who wants to go against the old guard and do something elaborate to make him unstoppable. There's a fish out of water character that accompanies Blade and explains the world, including how vampires are all over the place and control a lot, always hiding in the shadows so their existence is a secret to most humans.
I do think there's some silliness (not all but a lot of it I blame on typical comic book nonsense. For example, I just presume that garish Pearl character is straight from that medium) and as people have noted for years now, some of the late 90's CGI is typical late 90's CGI, meaning it looks terrible in comparison to what we get in modern times. Yet I can still say this is a good movie. It's a bloody vicious R-rated film which has exciting action scenes that are shot coherently. Stephen Dorff as Frost and Udo Kier as one of the old guard vampires is expected casting, but Wesley Snipes as the titular Blade was perfect; he delivered both on the action and on the attitude where he has little use for most of humanity and is pretty gruff in general but still has a nice relationship with Whistler, a surrogate father. The story is not too complex and yet I am fine with that as it was fun and the heroes wrecking dudes was always a joy.
I do have to pay special note to the beginning, which was and is a sweet way to start things out. It's a blood rave turned into an exciting action sequence. Besides it being filmed well, the music (I enjoyed the EDM-influenced soundtrack/score overall) was spot-on. The second tune was cool but the Pump Panel Reconstruction version of New Order's Confusion is not only a tremendous song, but it became iconic and many people recognize it even if they have no idea what the tune's title is, which at least was a common thing in the first few years after the movie came out.
Runtime: 120 minutes
Directed by: Stephen Norrington
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright, Udo Kier
From: New Line Cinema
I was happy to see this again. Let me regale you with the reasons why below:
I hadn't seen any of the three movies in the series for a very long time; henceforth, I realized it was time give the original another spin. Thing is, I always enjoyed the first and second one; it's Trinity that is so piss-poor it put me off from watching the first two. But I've gotten past that and besides, I am sure I'll have plenty to say about why Trinity is so bad.
By now I am sure most are familiar with the basic story of how the title character is a Daywalker who hunts down vampires and he has to deal with a young punk vampire named Deacon Frost who wants to go against the old guard and do something elaborate to make him unstoppable. There's a fish out of water character that accompanies Blade and explains the world, including how vampires are all over the place and control a lot, always hiding in the shadows so their existence is a secret to most humans.
I do think there's some silliness (not all but a lot of it I blame on typical comic book nonsense. For example, I just presume that garish Pearl character is straight from that medium) and as people have noted for years now, some of the late 90's CGI is typical late 90's CGI, meaning it looks terrible in comparison to what we get in modern times. Yet I can still say this is a good movie. It's a bloody vicious R-rated film which has exciting action scenes that are shot coherently. Stephen Dorff as Frost and Udo Kier as one of the old guard vampires is expected casting, but Wesley Snipes as the titular Blade was perfect; he delivered both on the action and on the attitude where he has little use for most of humanity and is pretty gruff in general but still has a nice relationship with Whistler, a surrogate father. The story is not too complex and yet I am fine with that as it was fun and the heroes wrecking dudes was always a joy.
I do have to pay special note to the beginning, which was and is a sweet way to start things out. It's a blood rave turned into an exciting action sequence. Besides it being filmed well, the music (I enjoyed the EDM-influenced soundtrack/score overall) was spot-on. The second tune was cool but the Pump Panel Reconstruction version of New Order's Confusion is not only a tremendous song, but it became iconic and many people recognize it even if they have no idea what the tune's title is, which at least was a common thing in the first few years after the movie came out.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Battle Beyond The Sun
The same details as I mentioned in my last review would go here, except that this is shorter and the American edit was done by someone who would make legendary films a decade later.
A few hours ago, I reviewed the 1959 Soviet science fiction movie Nebo Zovyot, which here on Letterboxd as of yesterday was labeled under an incorrect English translation of its title, changed today to the same title as its American edit, and who knows what it'll be known as tomorrow. The movie itself was clinical and a little on the dry side but still intriguing as the Russians and Americans try to get their asses to Mars first and as this is propaganda, of course the Americans are dumb so the Soviets have to bail our asses out. Roger Corman bought the rights to the movie in the United States and had someone edit it, add new footage, and release the film to drive-ins and other places in 1962.
That person who did the deed for Corman: Francis Ford Coppola! It'll take too long to explain the work he did on both Tonight for Sure and The Bellboy and the Playgirls so I'll just say this was the first thing he did for Corman and his first “legit” chance in the movie world. Roger was so happy with what he did here, he stayed on and like with many other famous names in the past, that was the springboard to bigger and better things. Note that he is noted as being an “associate producer” but he was listed as “Thomas Colchart” for the directing credit.
What he added onto the film: a big info dump in the beginning as the narrator explains various things. I mean, the two entities fighting to go to Mars is different. Here, it is the far-flung future of 1997 and the world is divided into the two different hemispheres. I know, but go with it... the Northern Hemisphere is seen as being more rash and in fact it is not their command that wishes them to rush things too fast, but instead it's the two astronauts who go off too soon despite the protests of their superiors... and there's one more thing that was added for the 67 minute cut.
To add some excitement, careful editing makes it seem that one of the Soviets witnesses a pair of monsters, and what critters they were. One is like if the human brain was large and had legs, had eyes on the ends of two arm-like appendages and its mouth was a gaping maw right on top. The other was quite lewd by early 60's standards. It is a bipedal creature shaped like a cucumber. Before you say that I have an overactive imagination or I am stretching things, let me describe the mouth. It has lips of sort... the mouth is vertical instead of horizontal, and as I don't want to be vulgar I will not bluntly say what it exactly looks like, but most should say, “Hey, that looks like a va...” Oh, and it has sharp teeth. Remember, the guy who in the 70's made three films worthy of being discussed in “The best movie of all time” talks came up with those monsters.
Compared to the original, things are dumbed down and some plot points are completely taken out. Thus, I'll rate it as average.
A few hours ago, I reviewed the 1959 Soviet science fiction movie Nebo Zovyot, which here on Letterboxd as of yesterday was labeled under an incorrect English translation of its title, changed today to the same title as its American edit, and who knows what it'll be known as tomorrow. The movie itself was clinical and a little on the dry side but still intriguing as the Russians and Americans try to get their asses to Mars first and as this is propaganda, of course the Americans are dumb so the Soviets have to bail our asses out. Roger Corman bought the rights to the movie in the United States and had someone edit it, add new footage, and release the film to drive-ins and other places in 1962.
That person who did the deed for Corman: Francis Ford Coppola! It'll take too long to explain the work he did on both Tonight for Sure and The Bellboy and the Playgirls so I'll just say this was the first thing he did for Corman and his first “legit” chance in the movie world. Roger was so happy with what he did here, he stayed on and like with many other famous names in the past, that was the springboard to bigger and better things. Note that he is noted as being an “associate producer” but he was listed as “Thomas Colchart” for the directing credit.
What he added onto the film: a big info dump in the beginning as the narrator explains various things. I mean, the two entities fighting to go to Mars is different. Here, it is the far-flung future of 1997 and the world is divided into the two different hemispheres. I know, but go with it... the Northern Hemisphere is seen as being more rash and in fact it is not their command that wishes them to rush things too fast, but instead it's the two astronauts who go off too soon despite the protests of their superiors... and there's one more thing that was added for the 67 minute cut.
To add some excitement, careful editing makes it seem that one of the Soviets witnesses a pair of monsters, and what critters they were. One is like if the human brain was large and had legs, had eyes on the ends of two arm-like appendages and its mouth was a gaping maw right on top. The other was quite lewd by early 60's standards. It is a bipedal creature shaped like a cucumber. Before you say that I have an overactive imagination or I am stretching things, let me describe the mouth. It has lips of sort... the mouth is vertical instead of horizontal, and as I don't want to be vulgar I will not bluntly say what it exactly looks like, but most should say, “Hey, that looks like a va...” Oh, and it has sharp teeth. Remember, the guy who in the 70's made three films worthy of being discussed in “The best movie of all time” talks came up with those monsters.
Compared to the original, things are dumbed down and some plot points are completely taken out. Thus, I'll rate it as average.
Nebo Zovyot
Nebo Zovyot (1959)
Runtime: 74 minutes
Directed by: Mikhail Karzhukov/Aleksandr Kozyr
Starring: Ivan Pereverzev, Aleksandr Shvorin, Konstantin Bartashevich, Mikhail Belousov, Larisa Borisenko
From: Mosfilm
In a few hours I'll post another review; that'll be the American edit of this movie, made by someone who would later become quite famous. For now, this sort of dry yet still interesting sci-fi flick, copied and pasted from Letterboxd... and oddly enough this version of the movie is not labeled correctly:
NOTE: As of the time I post this review the film is ID'ed on Letterboxd under the title of its modified American version, Battle Beyond the Sun. This is the original film, known in Russian as Nebo Zovyot.
I continued my old Soviet sci-fi film spree by checking this out; in a few hours I'll post my review for Battle Beyond the Sun, which is the American dubbed version released by... you guessed it, Roger Corman. The person who put that version all together: noteworthy as believe it or not, it was Francis Ford Coppola. What interesting elements he added, but I'll address that in the appropriate review.
Here, things are rather clinical-yet that does not mean it was not interesting. Some Russkies go up to their space station; two Americans in their own rocket drop by, and as the USSR is friendly and all, they're always happy to have people visit. Turns out, both the Soviets and Americans are looking at getting their asses to Mars. The two from the United States aren't bad people, but as this is propaganda, their boss is an A-hole who wishes for them to land on Mars first despite not being ready to do so; they are shown as not being as good at their job. After all, it takes them a rather long time to realize that they are headed towards the sun instead of Mars! They blame it on “their computers” but c'mon now.
The Russians are seen as noble for helping out their rivals (the Americans are now too low on fuel); now, at least in the future it was the Soviets who were too impatient when it came to competing with the West; that's why they lost the Space Race and among other things, their version of the Concorde (the Tupolev Tu-144) was a piece of garbage in comparison. I don't mean to insult Russians here; I just found it ironic, that's all.
At times they took artistic liberties when it came to science; even then, this was a fine-enough film. The story kept my interest and even if it's for kitsch reasons, seeing 50's and 60's sci-fi on film can be soothing as I enjoy the charm of what people back then thought outer space travel would be all about. At least I could be bemused at how for some reason, one character was always referred to by his full name; not just his first or last name, but both. Not a must-see and yet this was a pleasant diversion.
Runtime: 74 minutes
Directed by: Mikhail Karzhukov/Aleksandr Kozyr
Starring: Ivan Pereverzev, Aleksandr Shvorin, Konstantin Bartashevich, Mikhail Belousov, Larisa Borisenko
From: Mosfilm
In a few hours I'll post another review; that'll be the American edit of this movie, made by someone who would later become quite famous. For now, this sort of dry yet still interesting sci-fi flick, copied and pasted from Letterboxd... and oddly enough this version of the movie is not labeled correctly:
NOTE: As of the time I post this review the film is ID'ed on Letterboxd under the title of its modified American version, Battle Beyond the Sun. This is the original film, known in Russian as Nebo Zovyot.
I continued my old Soviet sci-fi film spree by checking this out; in a few hours I'll post my review for Battle Beyond the Sun, which is the American dubbed version released by... you guessed it, Roger Corman. The person who put that version all together: noteworthy as believe it or not, it was Francis Ford Coppola. What interesting elements he added, but I'll address that in the appropriate review.
Here, things are rather clinical-yet that does not mean it was not interesting. Some Russkies go up to their space station; two Americans in their own rocket drop by, and as the USSR is friendly and all, they're always happy to have people visit. Turns out, both the Soviets and Americans are looking at getting their asses to Mars. The two from the United States aren't bad people, but as this is propaganda, their boss is an A-hole who wishes for them to land on Mars first despite not being ready to do so; they are shown as not being as good at their job. After all, it takes them a rather long time to realize that they are headed towards the sun instead of Mars! They blame it on “their computers” but c'mon now.
The Russians are seen as noble for helping out their rivals (the Americans are now too low on fuel); now, at least in the future it was the Soviets who were too impatient when it came to competing with the West; that's why they lost the Space Race and among other things, their version of the Concorde (the Tupolev Tu-144) was a piece of garbage in comparison. I don't mean to insult Russians here; I just found it ironic, that's all.
At times they took artistic liberties when it came to science; even then, this was a fine-enough film. The story kept my interest and even if it's for kitsch reasons, seeing 50's and 60's sci-fi on film can be soothing as I enjoy the charm of what people back then thought outer space travel would be all about. At least I could be bemused at how for some reason, one character was always referred to by his full name; not just his first or last name, but both. Not a must-see and yet this was a pleasant diversion.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965)
Runtime: 73 minutes
Directed by: Curtis Harrington, and also Pavel Klushantsev
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Faith Domergue, John Bix, the cast of Planeta Bur
From: Roger Corman
What a time in the film industry when people could take footage from foreign films, dub it over, and typically add new footage that barely matches, if at all. This is a prime example of that, as I explain:
Last March I watched and reviewed the early 60's Soviet sci-fi movie Planeta Bur, commonly known in English as Planet of Storms. That was a fine experience. Roger Corman likely acquired the rights to the movie on the cheap, and he certainly showed his mastery of pinching pennies so hard that Abraham Lincoln yelps in pain... he managed to make THREE movies out of footage from Planeta Bur, this being one of them. It was dubbed over (and what a job they did there, as I'll elaborate upon later) and some Americans were hired to act in scenes created for this film.
The laughs begin with the opening credits, where the Soviet actors are given English names and the writer/director (Curtis Harrington) is credited as JOHN SEBASTIAN. The plot for those that don't remember or never saw me talk about Planeta Bur: a spaceship lands on Venus, where some dudes and a robot walk around and encounter all sorts of wackiness. The Soviet actress playing the one woman on the spaceship was replaced via editing by American actress Faith Domergue, and once you know that you'd have to believe in magic to not notice that the new footage looks completely different from the original Soviet footage.
Any charm to the movie is from Planeta Bur, where you see weird sites, including dinosaurs. The barren Soviet Union location that represented Venus was eerie and the creatures and other oddities they included were all interesting to look at; hell, there's even what could have been the inspiration for the land speeder from Star Wars. The American dubbing is quite bad. Note that one of the lines is obviously blown and yet there was never a take 2 to fix it. What was said made the story a lot a lot more juvenile and silly, with plenty of wisecracks (rarely are they funny) and bleh. The original had talk of such things as evolution and interesting discussion of ancient civilizations, aliens visiting centuries ago and space travel; when that is present here it is dumbed down. You don't have to ask if you ever have to make up your mind between the two films: don't see this as Bur is easy to find on certain streaming video websites.
Oh, and the one big name that Corman added in the new footage was Basil Rathbone, who certainly was in paycheck mode here, and is only on screen for like 3 minutes. Even at 74 minutes, your mind may daydream; there is really no need to ever watch this.
Runtime: 73 minutes
Directed by: Curtis Harrington, and also Pavel Klushantsev
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Faith Domergue, John Bix, the cast of Planeta Bur
From: Roger Corman
What a time in the film industry when people could take footage from foreign films, dub it over, and typically add new footage that barely matches, if at all. This is a prime example of that, as I explain:
Last March I watched and reviewed the early 60's Soviet sci-fi movie Planeta Bur, commonly known in English as Planet of Storms. That was a fine experience. Roger Corman likely acquired the rights to the movie on the cheap, and he certainly showed his mastery of pinching pennies so hard that Abraham Lincoln yelps in pain... he managed to make THREE movies out of footage from Planeta Bur, this being one of them. It was dubbed over (and what a job they did there, as I'll elaborate upon later) and some Americans were hired to act in scenes created for this film.
The laughs begin with the opening credits, where the Soviet actors are given English names and the writer/director (Curtis Harrington) is credited as JOHN SEBASTIAN. The plot for those that don't remember or never saw me talk about Planeta Bur: a spaceship lands on Venus, where some dudes and a robot walk around and encounter all sorts of wackiness. The Soviet actress playing the one woman on the spaceship was replaced via editing by American actress Faith Domergue, and once you know that you'd have to believe in magic to not notice that the new footage looks completely different from the original Soviet footage.
Any charm to the movie is from Planeta Bur, where you see weird sites, including dinosaurs. The barren Soviet Union location that represented Venus was eerie and the creatures and other oddities they included were all interesting to look at; hell, there's even what could have been the inspiration for the land speeder from Star Wars. The American dubbing is quite bad. Note that one of the lines is obviously blown and yet there was never a take 2 to fix it. What was said made the story a lot a lot more juvenile and silly, with plenty of wisecracks (rarely are they funny) and bleh. The original had talk of such things as evolution and interesting discussion of ancient civilizations, aliens visiting centuries ago and space travel; when that is present here it is dumbed down. You don't have to ask if you ever have to make up your mind between the two films: don't see this as Bur is easy to find on certain streaming video websites.
Oh, and the one big name that Corman added in the new footage was Basil Rathbone, who certainly was in paycheck mode here, and is only on screen for like 3 minutes. Even at 74 minutes, your mind may daydream; there is really no need to ever watch this.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989)
Runtime: 84 minutes
Directed by: PETER BONERZ; yes, that's his real name
Starring: Exactly who you'd expect
From: Warner Bros.
There is a reason I hadn't watched this movie in like 27 or 28 years. It's a pile of garbage where-among other things-the Bigfoot monster truck randomly appears in a scene with little explanation. Read why I think this stinks below:
NOTE: The director of this has the legendary name of PETER BONERZ. Of course I laugh at a human being actually being born with such a moniker, which is legit the case with this dude. Not only is the name Peter Bonerz funnier than anything in the film, but Mr. Bonerz mainly made a living by directing episodes of sitcoms; either “sitcom” or “cartoon” is an accurate way of describing this tired, unfunny motion picture.
I mean, at times I wondered if the main cast thought that they were getting too old for this shit and having to play the same stereotypical role, this time not as amusing as the previous films. The previous five I'd never call “great” but at least they were fun and while the plots were threadbare at best and as an adult I remembered they got pretty juvenile once the series turned to PG, at least it was silly laughs; that's why I thought the first was fine and 2-5 were average overall. This... note that the first five I saw multiple times as a kid but 6 and 7 were one time only viewings. This is not as putrid as Mission to Moscow but in no way is it any good.
The plot: the regular characters act exactly like you'd expect them to and this time, a crimewave is being directed by a “Mr. Big” (yes, that's what he is known as) and his identity is a mystery. He has three henchmen (one of them Gerrit Graham!) and they are all buffoons and cartoon characters. I can't say I didn't laugh a few times, but all the stupidity and the dopey plot sink it. The mayor character in particular sinks the film like he was an anchor, as nothing about that role was good or enjoyable in the least.
The movie has several people you would not suspect to be in a 6th Police Academy. Aside from Graham you get to see a child Allison Mack for about 5 seconds and Dean Norris is in one scene. But the wackiest is seeing two rappers appear for a minute (and they're spitting rhymes over a sample of Barry White's I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby)... one of the rappers is Melle Mel! A long way from being the lead rapper in Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five but at least he got paid.
The identity of the villain being blatantly telegraphed is yet another reason why this should be skipped if you want to see an entry in the franchise. Unfortunately aside from Guttenberg this was the last time the main cast got to all appear together and not even bringing back a supporting character from early in the franchise (Bruce Mahler's Fackler) could do anything to save this.
Runtime: 84 minutes
Directed by: PETER BONERZ; yes, that's his real name
Starring: Exactly who you'd expect
From: Warner Bros.
There is a reason I hadn't watched this movie in like 27 or 28 years. It's a pile of garbage where-among other things-the Bigfoot monster truck randomly appears in a scene with little explanation. Read why I think this stinks below:
NOTE: The director of this has the legendary name of PETER BONERZ. Of course I laugh at a human being actually being born with such a moniker, which is legit the case with this dude. Not only is the name Peter Bonerz funnier than anything in the film, but Mr. Bonerz mainly made a living by directing episodes of sitcoms; either “sitcom” or “cartoon” is an accurate way of describing this tired, unfunny motion picture.
I mean, at times I wondered if the main cast thought that they were getting too old for this shit and having to play the same stereotypical role, this time not as amusing as the previous films. The previous five I'd never call “great” but at least they were fun and while the plots were threadbare at best and as an adult I remembered they got pretty juvenile once the series turned to PG, at least it was silly laughs; that's why I thought the first was fine and 2-5 were average overall. This... note that the first five I saw multiple times as a kid but 6 and 7 were one time only viewings. This is not as putrid as Mission to Moscow but in no way is it any good.
The plot: the regular characters act exactly like you'd expect them to and this time, a crimewave is being directed by a “Mr. Big” (yes, that's what he is known as) and his identity is a mystery. He has three henchmen (one of them Gerrit Graham!) and they are all buffoons and cartoon characters. I can't say I didn't laugh a few times, but all the stupidity and the dopey plot sink it. The mayor character in particular sinks the film like he was an anchor, as nothing about that role was good or enjoyable in the least.
The movie has several people you would not suspect to be in a 6th Police Academy. Aside from Graham you get to see a child Allison Mack for about 5 seconds and Dean Norris is in one scene. But the wackiest is seeing two rappers appear for a minute (and they're spitting rhymes over a sample of Barry White's I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby)... one of the rappers is Melle Mel! A long way from being the lead rapper in Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five but at least he got paid.
The identity of the villain being blatantly telegraphed is yet another reason why this should be skipped if you want to see an entry in the franchise. Unfortunately aside from Guttenberg this was the last time the main cast got to all appear together and not even bringing back a supporting character from early in the franchise (Bruce Mahler's Fackler) could do anything to save this.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Fright Night (The Original)
Fright Night (1985)
Runtime: 106 minutes
Directed by: Tom Holland
Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, Roddy McDowall
From: Columbia
This is better than the remake, needless to say. I wax poetic about it below:
While it's only available for those that are Amazon Prime members, they recently uploaded a true rarity: an HD WIDESCREEN print of Fright Night Part 2. Due to nebulous rights issues, they did not make too many DVD's of the film almost 15 years ago before it was pulled, and even then the picture was bad and it was fullscreen. Until then people had to watch it on YouTube or track down bootlegs. Before I see the sequel I have to watch and review this first.
The plot is pretty simple: horror fan teen Charley Brewster discovers that a vampire and its assistant moves in next door into the creepy old house, and as he's a goof he boldly tells everyone of this, which goes as expected. Neither his girlfriend (whom he has a rocky up and down relationship with) nor his even nerdier friend EVIL ED believe him. Perhaps Brewster has always been a little screwy as he thinks asking horror film star turned horror TV host Peter Vincent for help.
To me, the movie is a blast. There's plenty of horror but there's also some romance and a few laughs along the way. The character of Charley is fine but it's the rest of the cast that is more memorable. Amanda Bearse is a delight as the poor girlfriend. Chris Sarandon is great as the villain; he fits both the suave nature of the vampire that captivates the women and the terrifying menace that is pretty frightening. It is made clear that this creature has supernatural powers and in particular is abnormally strong. Roddy McDowall is charming as Peter Vincent, who has to change from an actor who played characters that slayed monsters to a real life version of that. But personally Evil Ed was the true highlight. From his appearance to what he said, his clothing to the performance by Stephen Geoffreys, all of it was incredible. Truth be told, part of the high rating is solely due to that character.
The movie is 80's in the best ways: the plot, the tremendous practical special effects, and both the score & the soundtrack. Personally, I'll always favor something that has new songs from the likes of April Wine, the J. Geils Band and Autograph, but to me the music is pretty dope as I much rather listen to older tunes than the garbage that is popular now. In 2011 I watched the remake on the big screen; I thought it was “meh” and I imagine I'll feel the same way once I revisit that. I can say that the original is a must-see for 1980's horror fans.
Runtime: 106 minutes
Directed by: Tom Holland
Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, Roddy McDowall
From: Columbia
While it's only available for those that are Amazon Prime members, they recently uploaded a true rarity: an HD WIDESCREEN print of Fright Night Part 2. Due to nebulous rights issues, they did not make too many DVD's of the film almost 15 years ago before it was pulled, and even then the picture was bad and it was fullscreen. Until then people had to watch it on YouTube or track down bootlegs. Before I see the sequel I have to watch and review this first.
The plot is pretty simple: horror fan teen Charley Brewster discovers that a vampire and its assistant moves in next door into the creepy old house, and as he's a goof he boldly tells everyone of this, which goes as expected. Neither his girlfriend (whom he has a rocky up and down relationship with) nor his even nerdier friend EVIL ED believe him. Perhaps Brewster has always been a little screwy as he thinks asking horror film star turned horror TV host Peter Vincent for help.
To me, the movie is a blast. There's plenty of horror but there's also some romance and a few laughs along the way. The character of Charley is fine but it's the rest of the cast that is more memorable. Amanda Bearse is a delight as the poor girlfriend. Chris Sarandon is great as the villain; he fits both the suave nature of the vampire that captivates the women and the terrifying menace that is pretty frightening. It is made clear that this creature has supernatural powers and in particular is abnormally strong. Roddy McDowall is charming as Peter Vincent, who has to change from an actor who played characters that slayed monsters to a real life version of that. But personally Evil Ed was the true highlight. From his appearance to what he said, his clothing to the performance by Stephen Geoffreys, all of it was incredible. Truth be told, part of the high rating is solely due to that character.
The movie is 80's in the best ways: the plot, the tremendous practical special effects, and both the score & the soundtrack. Personally, I'll always favor something that has new songs from the likes of April Wine, the J. Geils Band and Autograph, but to me the music is pretty dope as I much rather listen to older tunes than the garbage that is popular now. In 2011 I watched the remake on the big screen; I thought it was “meh” and I imagine I'll feel the same way once I revisit that. I can say that the original is a must-see for 1980's horror fans.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Reservoir Dogs
Runtime:
99 minutes
Directed
by: QT
Starring:
Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn,
Lawrence Tierney
From:
Live Entertainment
It was about time I watched and reviewed this. I say it's very good:
I've mentioned it before but many of Tarantino's movies, it's like each time I watch it I will probably give it a different rating. That is one of the reasons why I haven't watched and reviewed most of his movies here. I haven't even seen this one in ages, although this and Pulp Fiction are the two movies of his where I am pretty certain of my ratings as I've always thought the same about them; pretty soon I should review Pulp and unless my opinion suddenly changes, I'll give high marks to that also. After that... QT is hit or miss with me, and when I review his other films I can give a better explanation for why that is the case.
QT will always be a divisive person, whether it's his personality, charges of plagiarism or other factors. I've never seen City on Fire but I'll talk about that later. I can say that the opening is still great in 2018; I imagine audiences were at least a little surprised in '92 to see and hear a scene filled with rapid-fire dialogue about such topics as Madonna's music/hidden meanings, random 70's songs and Steve Buscemi's character being against tipping. It sets the mood and tone, for sure. I am sure that some of them were not big fans of how loud and profane this picture is.
The rest of the film, it's not just a heist movie as you never see the group of criminals committing the diamond heist that goes wrong... you just see what happened before and after; rather, it's about how the characters react to things going South and growing suspicions that one of them “is a rat” who set them up. After all, the sextet who did the job, the guy who set up the robbery (Joe) selected them for the task so as they don't know each other except for some interaction the past few days, of course there is distrust and finger-pointing when they all have code names based on color... one of the many homages is that this detail was taken from the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
I say that this is very good, as it's always an intriguing motion picture, even if you remember important details from previous viewings. Having a very talented cast definitely helped as all that fiery dialogue and all the arguing happens; there are plenty of memorable lines for sure and it was an entirely fresh way of hearing movie dialogue and definitely after Pulp Fiction there were many films that tried to be like Tarantino yet most majorly failed at that task. You can try to be like Michael Madsen and what he does to that cop as Stuck in the Middle With You plays but it's difficult to be as cool or as memorable without being overly crass and vulgar. Trying to do a non-linear timeline and making it work is never an easy task
Like I said I've never seen the 1987 Hong Kong movie City on Fire, directed by Ringo Lam and starring Chow-Yun Fat, but I know many say it was pretty much an uncredited remake. Considering that I just rewatched Assault on Precinct 13 and it “borrowed” its plot from Rio Bravo and also Seven Samurai-which has had countless films steal its plot... that sort of thing has happened often in film history. Of course, Tarantino boldly displays all the old genre films he has been inspired by... I say sometimes to the detriment of his films (when I watch Grindhouse again I'll talk about Death Proof and my issues with it) but his influences are definitely obvious. Soon I'll try to watch City on Fire so I can know for certain how offended I should be that
Hearing that soundtrack again, it was clear from the beginning that QT chose old songs well for the purpose of them being used in his pictures. It is impressive that THREE tunes (the aforementioned Stuck in the Middle with You, Blue Swede's version of Hooked on a Feeling on and Little Green Bag by George Baker Selection) would be obscure now if not for this movie and two of them will forever be connected with Reservoir Dogs.
What an unforgettable debut for Quentin Tarantino. It should not be a surprise from such a beginning that he went on to have a storied career.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Assault On Precinct 13
Runtime:
91 minutes
Directed
by: John Carpenter
Starring:
Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West, Tony Burton
From:
CKK Corporation
Last night was a great time to watch this film (for the first time in years), as I explain below:
Yesterday was the 70th birthday of John Carpenter, who despite what the Twitter account of Rotten Tomatoes briefly said in a tweet that was quickly taken down, is still very much alive. This was the perfect time for me to watch again a film of his I hadn't seen in many years, but always had enjoyed. As I suspected, I still feel the same way now.
Borrowing a lot from Rio Bravo, this low-budget stunner has several people at a soon to be closed police station in a bad part of Los Angeles have to deal with a vicious street gang known as the Street Thunder, who are agitated for several reasons so they attack the station with a lot of firepower; this has also been compared with Night of the Living Dead (Carpenter has acknowledged both that and Rio Bravo as inspirations) as the bad guys are unstoppable and unrelenting like the zombies in Romero's classic. Ironically, the police have to defend with the place with the criminals that are there at the wrong time.
Some things could be nitpicked when it comes to putting all the pieces into place and having the siege take place. I won't do that as I think this is very good. It is intense, contains several moments that will be shocking the first time you see the film, has a quality synth score from Carpenter, and best of all is the interactions between the main characters; it is interesting seeing how they all deal with the siege but before and after the attacks is also important in terms of character work and how they all change due to this horrendous experience.
I've never seen the remake but I am probably safe in assuming it does not have the magic of the original and the changes they made were not for the better. If you even like Carpenter and have never seen this, that is a mistake you must fix, and the sooner the better.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Two Notes
1) The Raid: Redemption is still pretty awesome.
2) To list a hilarious fact about The Commuter that needs to be said: Patrick Wilson's role in the film is that of a cop. That character's name is ALEX MURPHY. Why they stole the lead character's name from Robocop, I have no idea but it's incredible whether it happened by accident or on purpose.
2) To list a hilarious fact about The Commuter that needs to be said: Patrick Wilson's role in the film is that of a cop. That character's name is ALEX MURPHY. Why they stole the lead character's name from Robocop, I have no idea but it's incredible whether it happened by accident or on purpose.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Slaughterhouse
Runtime: 85 minutes
Directed by: Rick Roessler
Starring: Joe B. Barton, Don Barrett,
Sherry Leigh, Bill Brinsfield, Jason Collier
From: American Artists
What a silly yet fun 80's slasher. Peep the details below:
I follow a wide variety of people here on Letterboxd. Some do reviews in unique ways... such as one who typically does it in a haiku and there is someone else who gives vegan alerts, meaning a notation of such things as meat being eaten or a dead animal. Well, before last night the only part of this movie I had seen were the opening credits-where amazingly you hear 40's-style Big Band music-where actual footage from a slaughterhouse is seen and yes, you see pigs actually be killed on camera. Huge warning for those that are vegan... I'll also give one to those that love cats...
Via Amazon Video (I understand it's also on Shudder) I saw the Director's Cut of the film, which I understand isn't too different from the theatrical version. I had no idea what to expect from this horror-comedy but thankfully this was surprisingly enjoyable. You can't take things TOO seriously. After all, there are characters named Lester Bacon and Lizzie Borden. The plot: crazy old Lester used to run the titular slaughterhouse but that closed down years ago. He still lives on the property with his morbidly obese, mentally handicapped son that acts like a pig. The county wants to foreclose on the property but Lester does not take this news well. Meanwhile, some goofy teens spend too much time around the slaughterhouse, mainly because they want to film parts of their movie there.
This is pretty low-budget and among other things, some of the acting is pretty bad. Yet overall I thought this was a fun slasher. While there were times I laughed at the movie, other times I laughed alongside it; there are some wacky moments that come out of nowhere, along with some legitimately funny lines/moments. The teens were tolerable and besides, the two males in the group wore a Late Night with David Letterman and an In-N-Out Burger shirt, respectively. Horror-wise, an abandoned slaughterhouse is a great place to film scenes at, and there were enough creepy moments to keep me satisfied. Those that find gory scenes kosher, you'll be delighted as there are several bloody moments.
The music, it was amazing as most of it is 80's-riffic and in several different ways. The soundtrack was interesting 80's-yes, there is synth-while the actual songs are hysterically 80's. For me that helped make this a slasher that to me is understandable how some view it as a cult hit and it has received several different Blu-ray releases from a few different companies. For those that love slashers during their heyday, this is worth checking out.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
The Commuter
The Commuter (2018)
56% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 99 reviews)
Runtime: 104 minutes
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Sam Neill
From: Lionsgate/Studio Canal
NOTE: I do not know how often I will be doing reviews the next few days; my laptop is “on the fritz”, in this case meaning “the cooling fan is not working properly.” It will be taken in for repair but who knows how long that will take.
What a movie to see as my first 2018 release... eventually I'll see some of the better pictures out now but on a whim I hoped this would be OK, and it was... although at times it was stump-dumb and you don't want to think too much about this ridiculous plot. Then again I expected the plot to be rather outlandish so I guess that's why I am not too mad at the film. I hadn't seen Nonstop or Unknown but I did see Run All Night, so now it's two out of the four Jaume Collet-Serra/Liam Neeson collaborations.
This is a typical movie involving the director and star... yep, a paranoid conspiracy thriller with some action elements. In this case, Neeson is Michael MacCauley, who has had a job in insurance for years; he's a typical family man who has a wife and teenage son about to go to college. Even he was hit hard by the 2008 recession, and the movie has incredibly unsubtle jabs about that. Anyhow, Vera Farmiga approaches him on the train after he had a bad day and he was asked to do something drastic, which leads to a kind of story you don't want to spend too much time thinking about.
Maybe I am being overly kind to this nonsense. Then again, at least the movie moves at a brisk pace, has a nice cast, there are some laughs, and most of the action scenes are acceptable. Plus, the opening credits was nicely done as it showed Neeson's family life through the years and said a lot in a few minutes. On the other hand, I won't say if I am being literal or figurative here when I say it goes off the rails a bit in the final act, but it's true... the final act has some moments, including one ripped off from a Kubrick movie. In context it is not a bad scene as it relates to the plot but some will groan because it was “heavily inspired” by a famous film moment.
In conclusion, even if this sounds interesting for you, you may be better off waiting until Redbox or VOD to check this out.
56% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 99 reviews)
Runtime: 104 minutes
Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, Sam Neill
From: Lionsgate/Studio Canal
NOTE: I do not know how often I will be doing reviews the next few days; my laptop is “on the fritz”, in this case meaning “the cooling fan is not working properly.” It will be taken in for repair but who knows how long that will take.
What a movie to see as my first 2018 release... eventually I'll see some of the better pictures out now but on a whim I hoped this would be OK, and it was... although at times it was stump-dumb and you don't want to think too much about this ridiculous plot. Then again I expected the plot to be rather outlandish so I guess that's why I am not too mad at the film. I hadn't seen Nonstop or Unknown but I did see Run All Night, so now it's two out of the four Jaume Collet-Serra/Liam Neeson collaborations.
This is a typical movie involving the director and star... yep, a paranoid conspiracy thriller with some action elements. In this case, Neeson is Michael MacCauley, who has had a job in insurance for years; he's a typical family man who has a wife and teenage son about to go to college. Even he was hit hard by the 2008 recession, and the movie has incredibly unsubtle jabs about that. Anyhow, Vera Farmiga approaches him on the train after he had a bad day and he was asked to do something drastic, which leads to a kind of story you don't want to spend too much time thinking about.
Maybe I am being overly kind to this nonsense. Then again, at least the movie moves at a brisk pace, has a nice cast, there are some laughs, and most of the action scenes are acceptable. Plus, the opening credits was nicely done as it showed Neeson's family life through the years and said a lot in a few minutes. On the other hand, I won't say if I am being literal or figurative here when I say it goes off the rails a bit in the final act, but it's true... the final act has some moments, including one ripped off from a Kubrick movie. In context it is not a bad scene as it relates to the plot but some will groan because it was “heavily inspired” by a famous film moment.
In conclusion, even if this sounds interesting for you, you may be better off waiting until Redbox or VOD to check this out.
Gymkata
Gymkata (1985)
Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Robert Clouse
Starring: Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton, Edward Bell, John Barrett
From: MGM
Lord, what a movie! I give some details as to why below:
Would you believe that someone once recommend that I see this? I've known of this for years but I finally decided that I should listen to the suggestion. After seeing this, I will have to presume this person gave such a recommendation because he suspected I'd laugh my ass off at this loony movie, and laugh I certainly did.
What a bonkers premise: a gymnast (real life gymnast Kurt Thomas) is asked to compete in a wacky elaborate game in the fictional country of Parmistan (which makes a Ninja Warrior run look staid and a cakewalk in comparison) as even though a foreigner has never won it in almost a millennia, any winner of it gets any wish he wants... and the United States government wants him to win so that they'd be able to install a satellite monitoring system in Parmistan? Yes it is true. Definitely, there has to be easier ways for America to have such a system installed in a country around Parmistan... which is supposed to be in the Middle East around Afghanistan but the movie was actually filmed in what was once Yugoslavia. Oh, and not only did his dad vanish while playing The Game, but along the way he has to try and prevent the monarchy from being overthrown. Whew.
Technically this is not a good movie. The story is ridiculous, the acting isn't always great, and like I said I laughed often. Yet I thought the movie was fun and if you enjoy silly 80's American martial arts films, this definitely should be seen. Kurt Thomas's hybrid gymnastics/martial arts was genuinely interesting and exciting to watch, even if there was a lot of flipping, and it was hilarious how several times there just happened to be items that looked like gymnastics accouterments that Kurt could use while beating people up. As it's the 80's, the people of Parmistan are all bizarre, ugly-looking fellows. This and how the country is stuck in the Middle Ages means that Trump would definitely think it was “a shithole”... that does not even take into account the city full of mentally ill people, and that is not handled delicately yet the movie turns horror for about 10 minutes as a bunch of weirdness happens. I now know why some think this is a cult film.
Runtime: 90 minutes
Directed by: Robert Clouse
Starring: Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton, Edward Bell, John Barrett
From: MGM
Lord, what a movie! I give some details as to why below:
Would you believe that someone once recommend that I see this? I've known of this for years but I finally decided that I should listen to the suggestion. After seeing this, I will have to presume this person gave such a recommendation because he suspected I'd laugh my ass off at this loony movie, and laugh I certainly did.
What a bonkers premise: a gymnast (real life gymnast Kurt Thomas) is asked to compete in a wacky elaborate game in the fictional country of Parmistan (which makes a Ninja Warrior run look staid and a cakewalk in comparison) as even though a foreigner has never won it in almost a millennia, any winner of it gets any wish he wants... and the United States government wants him to win so that they'd be able to install a satellite monitoring system in Parmistan? Yes it is true. Definitely, there has to be easier ways for America to have such a system installed in a country around Parmistan... which is supposed to be in the Middle East around Afghanistan but the movie was actually filmed in what was once Yugoslavia. Oh, and not only did his dad vanish while playing The Game, but along the way he has to try and prevent the monarchy from being overthrown. Whew.
Technically this is not a good movie. The story is ridiculous, the acting isn't always great, and like I said I laughed often. Yet I thought the movie was fun and if you enjoy silly 80's American martial arts films, this definitely should be seen. Kurt Thomas's hybrid gymnastics/martial arts was genuinely interesting and exciting to watch, even if there was a lot of flipping, and it was hilarious how several times there just happened to be items that looked like gymnastics accouterments that Kurt could use while beating people up. As it's the 80's, the people of Parmistan are all bizarre, ugly-looking fellows. This and how the country is stuck in the Middle Ages means that Trump would definitely think it was “a shithole”... that does not even take into account the city full of mentally ill people, and that is not handled delicately yet the movie turns horror for about 10 minutes as a bunch of weirdness happens. I now know why some think this is a cult film.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Fear Over The City
Fear Over the City (Peur Sur La Ville) (1975)
Runtime: 121 minutes
Directed by: Henri Verneuil
Starring: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Denner, Adalberto Maria Merli, Rosy Varte, Roland Dubillard
From: Cerito Films/Mondial Televisione Film
Here's an obscure film (in the United States) that thankfully is worth seeing and is easy to find on a certain streaming website... see what I mean below:
This is another example of me having to explain something to a worldwide audience as a film opinion is different in the United States. In the United States, those that know or remember Jean-Paul Belmondo would pretty much only be talking about his Godard films or Truffaut's Mississippi Mermaid. From sites like Rupert Pupkin Speaks and other sources (including Letterboxd) I know that later in his career he did his share of popular action movies. While some did get released in the United States under different titles-including this one-they did not light the U.S. box office on fire. Over here the posters for his films did not bill him by only his last name, in other words.
Within the past year or so I've heard about this movie more than once and as it's not too difficult to find online, I realized this was the time for me to check this out. The plot: a Parisian cop named Letellier and his partner Moissac investigate a serial killer whose hangup is “promiscuous women”; yeah, it's one of those things. This person even have a flair for the dramatic: they are known as Minos, after a character in Dante's Inferno; it was an apt comparison. Furthermore, the duo are also concerned about a bank robber that escaped the year before, partly because an innocent bystander was killed as he got away.
At times the movie does strain credulity a little bit. But otherwise I can't really complain about what proved to be a very good thriller with some action elements. The killer does some pretty creepy things and that makes you hate him all the more. The villain's identity is never a secret; the movie is about the heroes trying to figure it out through detective work... and such “70's cop” things as them shooting a subject in self-defense and refusing to call an ambulance for him until he spills the beans. This is an Italian-French co-production, so I guess it isn't surprising that there are elements of both a poliziotteschi and giallo, or that Morricone did the score.
None other than Jackie Chan has praised Belmondo; that is because he did his own stunts. The action you do see in this movie is quite entertaining. There is a chase scene involving running on the rooftops of Paris that is a lot of fun but the highlight is about halfway through where you get another chase and for reasons I won't spoil it is pretty unique along with being exciting and Jean-Paul performing some risky stunts. In short, if you enjoy films like Dirty Harry and/or the genres I mentioned above, this is well worth seeing... and the movie is easy to find online, both subbed and dubbed.
Runtime: 121 minutes
Directed by: Henri Verneuil
Starring: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Denner, Adalberto Maria Merli, Rosy Varte, Roland Dubillard
From: Cerito Films/Mondial Televisione Film
Here's an obscure film (in the United States) that thankfully is worth seeing and is easy to find on a certain streaming website... see what I mean below:
This is another example of me having to explain something to a worldwide audience as a film opinion is different in the United States. In the United States, those that know or remember Jean-Paul Belmondo would pretty much only be talking about his Godard films or Truffaut's Mississippi Mermaid. From sites like Rupert Pupkin Speaks and other sources (including Letterboxd) I know that later in his career he did his share of popular action movies. While some did get released in the United States under different titles-including this one-they did not light the U.S. box office on fire. Over here the posters for his films did not bill him by only his last name, in other words.
Within the past year or so I've heard about this movie more than once and as it's not too difficult to find online, I realized this was the time for me to check this out. The plot: a Parisian cop named Letellier and his partner Moissac investigate a serial killer whose hangup is “promiscuous women”; yeah, it's one of those things. This person even have a flair for the dramatic: they are known as Minos, after a character in Dante's Inferno; it was an apt comparison. Furthermore, the duo are also concerned about a bank robber that escaped the year before, partly because an innocent bystander was killed as he got away.
At times the movie does strain credulity a little bit. But otherwise I can't really complain about what proved to be a very good thriller with some action elements. The killer does some pretty creepy things and that makes you hate him all the more. The villain's identity is never a secret; the movie is about the heroes trying to figure it out through detective work... and such “70's cop” things as them shooting a subject in self-defense and refusing to call an ambulance for him until he spills the beans. This is an Italian-French co-production, so I guess it isn't surprising that there are elements of both a poliziotteschi and giallo, or that Morricone did the score.
None other than Jackie Chan has praised Belmondo; that is because he did his own stunts. The action you do see in this movie is quite entertaining. There is a chase scene involving running on the rooftops of Paris that is a lot of fun but the highlight is about halfway through where you get another chase and for reasons I won't spoil it is pretty unique along with being exciting and Jean-Paul performing some risky stunts. In short, if you enjoy films like Dirty Harry and/or the genres I mentioned above, this is well worth seeing... and the movie is easy to find online, both subbed and dubbed.
Seven Samurai
Seven Samurai (Shichinin No Samurai) (1954)
Runtime: 207 minutes
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: The titular samurai, plus the farmers and other townspeople. Toshiro Mifune is the most famous name, but all the cast do a quality job
From: Toho
Runtime: 207 minutes
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: The titular samurai, plus the farmers and other townspeople. Toshiro Mifune is the most famous name, but all the cast do a quality job
From: Toho
About time I saw this movie again so it could be reviewed here. See me lavish praise on this below:
Naturally this is a legendary motion picture that I have seen before, but the last viewing was many years ago so on a whim (and the ability to see this 3 ½ hour epic in the span of a day) I decided to finally watch then review this must-see classic here.
I imagine most know the plot; I am not saying that everyone reading this has seen the film before as that would be awfully presumptuous of me; but, many will know of the plot either from film discussion or having knowledge of either The Magnificent Seven movie. Those are pretty entertaining but they aren't incredible like this film is, where the titular samurai are asked to defend a town against bandits who robbed them before and someone overheard they plan on robbing them again soon; they help prepare the town for the attack.
All seven have distinct personalities; Toshiro Mifune's Kikuchiyo is the most memorable as he was the most vulgar and the most extortionate, but the other six (along with some of the townspeople) are unforgettable also. The film takes its time yet is never boring as it still has a fast pace; I am just saying there is enough time to get to know all those characters, along with exploring the various conflicts the movie has, such as the village being wary of the samurai.
Wiser people than I (and better writers also) have explained how Kurosawa's filmmaking is so great here between such things as shot selection, the multiple-camera shoot and how that was beneficial, editing, etc. Such articles can easily be found via Google. I will just say that this may be the best film ever done by one of the all-time-great directors and is a must-see. There are so many nuanced characters, so many interesting emotions present, philosophical discussion, and you can't forget the action scenes that are still effective today. The movie is so well-constructed that not only do the 3 ½ hours fly by, but you see how well the heroes plan on defending the village and how all the enemy deaths are clearly noted... as this film has a legitimate case in discussion of “What is the best movie of all time?” it should be watched despite its epic length and not just for how influential it has been in 60 plus years.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
The Perfect Weapon
The Perfect Weapon (1991)
Runtime: 84 minutes
Directed by: Mark DiSalle
Starring: Jeff Speakman, John Dye, Mako, James Hong, Dante Basco
From: Paramount
In a better world this would have a better reputation than "cult favorite", but alas... I talk about this below:
This is another one of those movies I enjoyed back in the day yet hadn't seen in many years. Shame on me in this instance, as this is still a lot of fun and should be watched by those that enjoy the American martial arts films. They tried pretty hard to make Jeff Speakman (a real life Kenpo Karate expert) into the next Seagal or Van Damme, someone who would have some success at the box office. Like what happened with most, it did not turn out as planned and instead they were relegated to the direct to VHS world. It's a shame as the people involved deserved better as they did a pretty nice job in creating what should have been a bigger hit.
After the opening credits where you see our hero working out to Snap's The Power, we get to the plot: Speakman plays Jeff Sanders, who is great at Kenpo Karate but he's not a superman who is infallible. In fact, he is enrolled into the martial art as a kid because he did not take his mom's death well. Even after that, he couldn't control his temper so he becomes estranged from his family. That was all in flashback; present day, someone he knew for most of his life (Mako!) is killed and he is looking for revenge, but it's a difficult task.
This has plenty of actors I know: Mako, Beau Starr, James Hong, Mariska Hargitay, Professor Toru Tanaka, Clyde Kusatsu, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Branscombe Richmond, and Al Leong. Of course, many of them were supposed to be Korean but none of the Asian actors were actually Korean... I am used to that in Hollywood so I wasn't distracted and instead I was happy to see all of them. The movie was made well: the action scenes are all exciting and unlike in modern times you can actually make out what's happening; Kenpo Karate made for an exciting style to watch. As expected, there are some silly moments, but it's what I expect from the genre. Special note has to be given to the sound design: it helps you feel all the blows that land and make the film more effective in demonstrating the beating that many people take throughout, including our hero.
Like I said, it's a shame Jeff Speakman did not become a bigger star. Alas, at least this should work for those that love the genre and you're tired of rewatching the old movies of people like Van Damme or Seagal.
Runtime: 84 minutes
Directed by: Mark DiSalle
Starring: Jeff Speakman, John Dye, Mako, James Hong, Dante Basco
From: Paramount
In a better world this would have a better reputation than "cult favorite", but alas... I talk about this below:
This is another one of those movies I enjoyed back in the day yet hadn't seen in many years. Shame on me in this instance, as this is still a lot of fun and should be watched by those that enjoy the American martial arts films. They tried pretty hard to make Jeff Speakman (a real life Kenpo Karate expert) into the next Seagal or Van Damme, someone who would have some success at the box office. Like what happened with most, it did not turn out as planned and instead they were relegated to the direct to VHS world. It's a shame as the people involved deserved better as they did a pretty nice job in creating what should have been a bigger hit.
After the opening credits where you see our hero working out to Snap's The Power, we get to the plot: Speakman plays Jeff Sanders, who is great at Kenpo Karate but he's not a superman who is infallible. In fact, he is enrolled into the martial art as a kid because he did not take his mom's death well. Even after that, he couldn't control his temper so he becomes estranged from his family. That was all in flashback; present day, someone he knew for most of his life (Mako!) is killed and he is looking for revenge, but it's a difficult task.
This has plenty of actors I know: Mako, Beau Starr, James Hong, Mariska Hargitay, Professor Toru Tanaka, Clyde Kusatsu, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Branscombe Richmond, and Al Leong. Of course, many of them were supposed to be Korean but none of the Asian actors were actually Korean... I am used to that in Hollywood so I wasn't distracted and instead I was happy to see all of them. The movie was made well: the action scenes are all exciting and unlike in modern times you can actually make out what's happening; Kenpo Karate made for an exciting style to watch. As expected, there are some silly moments, but it's what I expect from the genre. Special note has to be given to the sound design: it helps you feel all the blows that land and make the film more effective in demonstrating the beating that many people take throughout, including our hero.
Like I said, it's a shame Jeff Speakman did not become a bigger star. Alas, at least this should work for those that love the genre and you're tired of rewatching the old movies of people like Van Damme or Seagal.
Monday, January 8, 2018
The Sheik
The Sheik (1921)
Runtime: 86 minutes
Directed by: George Melford
Starring: Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres, Ruth Miller, George Waggner, Frank Butler
From: Paramount
What a movie with dated viewpoints... especially considering also last night was the Golden Globes, and the dominating message there. See what I mean below:
This piece of hokum was on Turner Classic Movies last night and as I hadn't seen any movies from Rudolph Valentino period, this might as well be the first one. Back in the day he was a huge sex symbol and when he suddenly died at a young age, his fame shot even higher to the point of iconic status.
The plot: I call this “hokum” for good reason. It is silly at best and can be seen as offensive at worst. What is known now as “an independent woman” is in “Arabia” when she meets up with the title character. He swoons over her; Sheik is such a romantic, the way he decides to win her heart is: kidnapping her! Even worse, he threatens her and browbeats her and proclaims that no one would find her in the middle of the desert (where they are hiding); if that isn't chilling enough, you even have another character tell her (and I am paraphrasing here) “When men are around women, men can't control their base desires”; yep, victim-blaming. You can see how all this is incredibly uncomfortable in modern times. And I did not even mention yet that she eventually falls for Sheik. Then again, million of people don't find Christian Grey disturbing at all... Plus, of course there is “brownface” going on as multiple white people play those of Arabic descent.
Yet, I still gave this nonsense an average grade. The gross elements were usually so silly I could not get that mad at them; of course your mileage may vary. In terms of acting, Rudy often appeared as a smiling goofus, his eyes usually bugged out; even for a silent that is pretty exaggerated so I will hazard a guess from this one performance and say it was his appearance rather than his acting talent that made him a star... the more things change... Agnes Ayres was more natural as the independent lady. It was nicely filmed and I had no trouble believing either the sets or the California desert that stood in for the desert of “Arabia”. There are some exciting moments; would you believe that Ayres gets kidnapped by other people while she's still kidnapped by Valentino? I guess that this is pretty silly overall.
Runtime: 86 minutes
Directed by: George Melford
Starring: Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres, Ruth Miller, George Waggner, Frank Butler
From: Paramount
What a movie with dated viewpoints... especially considering also last night was the Golden Globes, and the dominating message there. See what I mean below:
This piece of hokum was on Turner Classic Movies last night and as I hadn't seen any movies from Rudolph Valentino period, this might as well be the first one. Back in the day he was a huge sex symbol and when he suddenly died at a young age, his fame shot even higher to the point of iconic status.
The plot: I call this “hokum” for good reason. It is silly at best and can be seen as offensive at worst. What is known now as “an independent woman” is in “Arabia” when she meets up with the title character. He swoons over her; Sheik is such a romantic, the way he decides to win her heart is: kidnapping her! Even worse, he threatens her and browbeats her and proclaims that no one would find her in the middle of the desert (where they are hiding); if that isn't chilling enough, you even have another character tell her (and I am paraphrasing here) “When men are around women, men can't control their base desires”; yep, victim-blaming. You can see how all this is incredibly uncomfortable in modern times. And I did not even mention yet that she eventually falls for Sheik. Then again, million of people don't find Christian Grey disturbing at all... Plus, of course there is “brownface” going on as multiple white people play those of Arabic descent.
Yet, I still gave this nonsense an average grade. The gross elements were usually so silly I could not get that mad at them; of course your mileage may vary. In terms of acting, Rudy often appeared as a smiling goofus, his eyes usually bugged out; even for a silent that is pretty exaggerated so I will hazard a guess from this one performance and say it was his appearance rather than his acting talent that made him a star... the more things change... Agnes Ayres was more natural as the independent lady. It was nicely filmed and I had no trouble believing either the sets or the California desert that stood in for the desert of “Arabia”. There are some exciting moments; would you believe that Ayres gets kidnapped by other people while she's still kidnapped by Valentino? I guess that this is pretty silly overall.
I Don't Think I'll Ever Love The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Sure, it has some great songs but overall... the movie is "meh" at best.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
The Most Dangerous Game
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Runtime: A brisk 63 minutes
Directed by: Irving Pichel/Ernest B. Schoedsack
Starring: Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Leslie Banks, Nobel Johnson
From: RKO
This was an easy Friday night watch, as I explain below:
This film was on (TCM Friday) night and as it is barely over an hour long, the time was right for me to see the movie (based on a short story by Richard Connell) that spawned an idea which will be evergreen and always popular in entertainment: man hunting man as sport. It can be modified to be “alien hunting man” as sport or otherwise and it brings in things like the Alien or Predator franchise; even Deadly Prey wouldn't be possible without that story originally being written and becoming a success almost 100 years ago. A lot can be done with the idea and that's a reason why it's evergreen... whether it's social commentary or otherwise, the trope is one which will never go away.
The movie, I understand it doesn't deviate too much from the original Connell story; a big game hunter is shipwrecked on a mysterious South American island and he meets up with some people who recently suffered the same fate at a castle owned by a crazed Russian dude (no, not Putin; a dude named Zaroff) who of course has a large mute bearded guy as a servant. They soon find out what he means when he says he found “the most dangerous game” to hunt as he's an avid hunter himself and animals like tigers are too dull for him.
The creators of the original King Kong were also responsible for this; no surprise that the same jungle sets were used and they both share Robert Armstrong and Fay Wray. I wish the original version (about 15 minutes longer) was still around; I know some gruesome moments had to be taken out but I don't know the content of the rest that was cut. I do wish the actual hunt would have been lengthier and there are some moments so over the top they are ripe.
Yet, I can still say the movie is pretty good as it's never dull, and not just because of the runtime. While the impact of the movie has been dulled due to how familiar the idea is and how no one who sees this doesn't know what it's about and you have to wait awhile before the heroes figure it out... some moments seemed far ahead of their time, and that is but one reason why I don't regret finally seeing something so influential.
Runtime: A brisk 63 minutes
Directed by: Irving Pichel/Ernest B. Schoedsack
Starring: Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Leslie Banks, Nobel Johnson
From: RKO
This was an easy Friday night watch, as I explain below:
This film was on (TCM Friday) night and as it is barely over an hour long, the time was right for me to see the movie (based on a short story by Richard Connell) that spawned an idea which will be evergreen and always popular in entertainment: man hunting man as sport. It can be modified to be “alien hunting man” as sport or otherwise and it brings in things like the Alien or Predator franchise; even Deadly Prey wouldn't be possible without that story originally being written and becoming a success almost 100 years ago. A lot can be done with the idea and that's a reason why it's evergreen... whether it's social commentary or otherwise, the trope is one which will never go away.
The movie, I understand it doesn't deviate too much from the original Connell story; a big game hunter is shipwrecked on a mysterious South American island and he meets up with some people who recently suffered the same fate at a castle owned by a crazed Russian dude (no, not Putin; a dude named Zaroff) who of course has a large mute bearded guy as a servant. They soon find out what he means when he says he found “the most dangerous game” to hunt as he's an avid hunter himself and animals like tigers are too dull for him.
The creators of the original King Kong were also responsible for this; no surprise that the same jungle sets were used and they both share Robert Armstrong and Fay Wray. I wish the original version (about 15 minutes longer) was still around; I know some gruesome moments had to be taken out but I don't know the content of the rest that was cut. I do wish the actual hunt would have been lengthier and there are some moments so over the top they are ripe.
Yet, I can still say the movie is pretty good as it's never dull, and not just because of the runtime. While the impact of the movie has been dulled due to how familiar the idea is and how no one who sees this doesn't know what it's about and you have to wait awhile before the heroes figure it out... some moments seemed far ahead of their time, and that is but one reason why I don't regret finally seeing something so influential.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Jules And Jim
Jules and Jim (Jules et Jim) (1962)
Runtime: 105 minutes
Directed by: Francois Truffaut
Starring: Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre, Vanna Urbino, Serge Rezvani
From: Several French companies
It was time for me to see a “serious” film, one you'd see in film school. I understand why some don't like it, because the most important character does many terrible things throughout, but it was not a turn-off. I explain why below:
Runtime: 105 minutes
Directed by: Francois Truffaut
Starring: Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre, Vanna Urbino, Serge Rezvani
From: Several French companies
It was time for me to see a “serious” film, one you'd see in film school. I understand why some don't like it, because the most important character does many terrible things throughout, but it was not a turn-off. I explain why below:
While I enjoy watching sleaze and trash and wacky movies, sometimes I do dig into the serious works, the stuff that film fans should see. That includes the work of Francois Truffaut. I'll be honest and admit I haven't watched too many of his motion pictures in my life, something I am ashamed to admit. I mean, one of my dominant opinions of him is how I was not a fan of Close Encounters of the Third Kind but I had no problem with his acting role and in fact I would have liked to have seen more of the great duo that was him and Bob Balaban. As I also need to see more French New Wave in general, this was an easy choice for a movie to watch.
In the time of World War I, the film is about a love triangle between Frenchman Jim, reserved Austrian pal Jules, and Jules' girl Catherine. Going in, I heard heard some criticism about Catherine, to say the least. It was not sexist commentary, mind you... it was legitimate annoyance and even hatred concerning her actions. That was a concern for me. Turns out, she was an awful, awful human being. Rather than be charmed by this polyamorous love triangle, I found it to be a horror story where a terrible mentally ill woman ruined the lives of a pair of friends who I thought were more than just friends... she was thankfully called out for her behavior but what a cruel way it ended.
What does help my rating for this is how well the film is made. The camera moves around often (but not in the modern way it's done today, where it is usually nauseating to watch), the colorful editing, the narration that often pops up... it may just be something that someone noticed and tied it together on their own, but allegedly Scorsese was inspired by this film and used it as a blueprint for how Goodfellas would be put together, and I definitely see it. I enjoyed how inventive the movie was when it came to how it was constructed. There's also the evocative and charming musical score. The filmmaking and how I interpreted the story (admittedly a different reading than what others would say) is why I give this high marks despite one of the main characters being utterly maddening.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)